I’ve been following this story nearly from the beginning and it’s only gotten better the more Mei has written.  Considering this is her self-professed "first attempt at fiction," I’m going to have to give her a standing ovation.  She certainly puts other, more seasoned, writers to shame in this regard.

Temmin, the story’s main character, is an absolute doll.  He can be a little scary at times since his father has a tendency to sneak through in his personality but really, when comparing the two, they’re pretty opposite.  Thus far, this is Temmin’s story, especially the first book but being in the middle of the second, it hops around from character to character, giving different insight to different events.  In the second, Sedra gets a view, what with her impending . . . trade but Temmin is still an equal player as well.

The beginning of book one gets off to a little slow of a start but once the young prince arrives at the Keep, it just doesn’t stop!  This particular serial is a frame piece, a story within a story, so while we have the "present day" events going on, we’re getting a secondary story usually via Temmin’s education from Teacher.  Of course, sex is just out of reach of front and center in both frames and it creates for double the fun!

Some may say the sex is there simply to have it.  Mei is of the mind that sex is a part of life and thus a part of her story.  She certainly doesn’t shy away from anything but don’t confuse that with smut.  It’s not.  It’s just something she’s very open about and a gander through the comments columns can tell you that she’s been opening a lot of eyes to her readers’ own wants and needs with her work.  The sex can be explicit as well as uncomfortable at times but I think it’s something that’s always been handled gracefully and not pornographically regardless of the situation.

Her characters are rich and multi-dimensional and the repercussions of their actions can be felt as you read.  Some of the situations she’s placed them in has readers vying for real world replicas (the Lover’s Temple, for example) and the discussions her writing elicits any writer would be envious of.  She’s certainly done a good job in creating a bevy of faithful readers and I can only hope she draws in more as the story goes on.  It certainly deserves it.

While this is labeled as a fantasy story, it’s one that uses the genre as more of a background tool than something that’s up front and center.  Magic is lingering, rarely used except by a few in this work and the focus is certainly on the characters, their development and what’s going on in their lives.  They live in a world where magic is barely spoken of.  It’s not necessarily taboo but it’s certainly not prevalent.  Actions of the characters are oftentimes more magical than any blatant use of magic that could be thrown in there.

The site is certainly designed to be user friendly and MeiLin does her best to make it so since it’s what she does.  She works to not only bring attention to her own piece but to other web serialists as well as a means to further promote the craft.  She’s a good person with an awesome story that everyone should be reading.

Take this one as another "don’t miss" story.  You’ll regret it if you do, if for nothing more than the sex tips that Cosmo would be vying for!

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